This summer we went on a
field trip to the Jacobsen
Observatory at the University
of Washington to learn about
stars and space. That trip
inspired us to make these
artwork and writing projects.
To learn more about the
Jacobsen Observatory, visit
the UW astronomy website at
www.astro.washington.edu.
And be sure follow us at
scribbles.edublogs.org look for a new Scribbles issue
in the fall!
Sincerely,
The Scribbles Staff

Advertising Department
Rebecca Heelan – Advertising Director

Advisor
Lori Carossino

Scribbles is the official literary and arts magazine
of Elma Middle School. The views and opinions
expressed within Scribbles do not reflect or
represent the administration or faculty of this
school or our school district.

02

Table of Contents
Staff

1

Jacobsen Observatory

2

Venus

3

Mercury

4

Saturn Haiku

5

Neptune

6

Quasars: Old but Beautiful

7

Birth of the Moon

8

A Cometâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tail

9

Jupiter

11

The Sun

12

Starry, Starry Night

13

Stars

14

The Haiku Galaxy

15

Astronomy

17

Space

18

Binary Stars: collaborative poetry

19

Art Gallery

21

03

Venus
By: Lauren Thompson

Planets have been here long before time lost
in space. Venus is one I found to be very
interesting. Did you know that Venus is called
earth’s twin because the two planets are
similar in size but that’s the only similarity.
Venus is the second closest planet to the sun
located between earth and mercury. Venus
got its name from the roman goddess of love
and beauty. Thick clouds create a
greenhouse effect on Venus making it really
hot.
Temperatures
on
Venus
are
approximately 900°f +/- 50°( 500°c+/-32°).
One day in Venus is 243 earth days and Venus
days are longer then its year of 225 days.
Venus is the brightest object in the sky besides
the sun and moon,. Venus has a lot facts that I
hope you found interesting.

Venus by Lauren Thompson
polymer clay, July 2010

Mercury
By: Karli Smythe

Mercury has been known since ancient times.
Mercury has no moons. A day on Mercury lasts
176 Earth days. If something weighs 100 pounds
on Earth it weighs 38 pounds on Mercury. The
temperature may reach 450 degrees C ( 840
degrees F) but at night it may reach as low as
-170 degrees C (-275 degrees F). Mercuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
weak atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium,
oxygen, sodium, calcium, and potassium.
Mercury is the fastest moving planet in the solar
system. There are many facts about Mercury
that you might have found interesting.

Mercury, by Karli Smythe
polymer clay, July 2010

04

05

Saturn Haiku
By: Mikayla Beeler

Saturnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made of gas
Thousand rings, 6th from the Sun
Made of hydrogen

Saturn by Mikayla Smith
polymer clay, July 2010

Neptune
Neptune was discovered on Sept. 23, 1846 by
Johann Galle and Louis d’Arrest through math
predictions. It orbits the sun every 165 Earth
years. Neptune has 8 moons. A day on
Neptune is 16 hours and 6.7 minutes on Earth.
It’s the coldest planet in the solar system. Its
temperature is -218 degrees C. If Neptune
were hollow it could contain nearly 60 Earths.
Methane gives Neptune its cloudy blue color.
The largest spot, known as the Great Dark
Spot, is about the size of Earth and is similar to
the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. Neptune has a
set of four rings which are narrow and very
faint. The rings are made up of dust particles
thought to be made by tiny meteorites
smashing into Neptune’s moons. There are
some facts about Neptune that you might find
interesting.

Neptune #2, by Rebecca Heelan
acrylic, July 2010

06

Quasars: Old but Beautiful
By: Victoria Aukland

07

Quasars are very old stars. Most have a
Accretion Disk, Revalistic Jets, and a Black
Hole like in the middle sucking up matter.
When Quasars have a tail, that is called a jet.
Some Jets can have a diameter twice as
large as The Milky Wayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Quasars can be
billions of light years away. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking
through a telescope it can be very hard to
detect, harder yet with the naked eye.
Quasars come in all shapes and sizes like
most stars. Quasars are one of the still
mysteries of the sky, but one of the most
magnificent.

student drawings of quasars,
01

soft pastel, July 2010

Birth of the Moon
By: Conor Dowling

The moon is the closest body in are sky. It is
the only thing outside Earth that we as
humans have visited, and we still have only
theories about how it was formed. The most
accepted theory is the Giant Impact Theory.
This theory states that in the early years of the
solar system when the Earth was still a molten
ball of rock it collided with another planet
about the size of Mars. That collision sent
hundreds of tons of molten rock into orbit
around Earth, this rock then pooled and
cooled into the gray sphere of solid rock that
we see in are sky to day.

08

A Cometâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tail
By: Conor Dowling

09

The dark, that ever present, crushing oblivion
I have lived in it long
As long as I have lived I have wandered
As I wander I grow more and more lonely
No companions can race with me
None have tried
I have seen the big and the small
They all die and turn dark
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve felt searing cold and raging heat
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a star collapsed into nothing but gas
And my odyssey is not half done

untitled by Conor Dowling, watercolor, July 2010

10
untitled by Mikayla Smith acrylic, July 2010

untitled by Mikayla Smith watercolor, July 2010

Jupiter
By: Sara Martinez

11

The Sun
By: Sara Martinez

The sun is bright and yellow.
The sun is a flaming ball of gas that gives off
heat.
The sun is the center of the solar system and all
the planets revolve around it.
The sun is the most important star. If there were
no sun there would never have been
people, plants, and animals.

12

The Starry, Starry Night
By: Victoria Aukland

The starry, starry night
Oh, how the stars shined so bright
Some make up so much light
That you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it is night
As the sky gets darker, more mysteries appear
So beautiful you smile ear to ear
As we try to figure out the mysteries in the sky
We may waste a little time
But it is worth it in the end
Because you know dreams are not pretend

13

Untitled work by Victoria Aukland
soft pastels, July 2010

Untitled work by Victoria Aukland
soft pastels, July 2010

STARS
By: Rebecca Heelan

Stars
They are
Astronomyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonders
Red some may be
Space is where they sleep
STAR
By: Jacob Nelson